The writer Mark records the situation as follows: And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom READ MORE
Demons
The Twelve
Pay careful attention to the story of Jesus’ formal affirmation of the twelve disciples who would follow after him, as recorded by Mark in the historical account bearing his name: And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom READ MORE
Legitimizing the Lord
Tucked tightly between the passage about Jesus’ healing the man with the withered hand and the calling of the twelve apostles is a seemingly modest account of a great crowd coming to Jesus for physical healing. Read carefully what Mark has penned about this particular moment in Jesus’ remarkable life: Jesus withdrew with his disciples READ MORE
Prayer in a Desolate Place
Jesus’ early-morning trek to an out-of -the-way spot so that he might talk with his heavenly Father offers some important lessons regarding both prayer and purpose. Consider the passage, as revealed in Mark 1:35-39: And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, READ MORE
The Entrance
Jesus’ movement from the synogogue to Peter’s home is far more significant than might seem on the surface. Consider the text, according to the English Standard Version, from Mark 1:29-34: And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a READ MORE
The Holy One of God
It is not just a mere man who has come to bring light into the darkness, to meet us in the wilderness, to rescue us from bonds of evil, and erase our shame. Consider the following passage from Mark 1:21-28 for proof: And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the READ MORE